Meet Jacy Eylar of Beeyond the Hive in Elizabeth

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jacy Eylar.

Jacy, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I was born and raised in this industry. I can remember being eight years old and working with my dad in his honey house. I would label jars, package honey, sell the honey out the door and even help him extract the hives every summer. I can honestly say that I loved going to work with him and never felt like it was a job or like it was expected of me to help out with the family business.

I went on to college but I quickly realized my heart was with the family business. After my last class finished I packed my bags and headed back to the bees! That summer my sister, Jamie, and I created Beeyond the Hive. We wanted a fun, young and fresh approach to a sleepy and male-dominated industry. So, we took off and started our venture! After a few years, Jamie branched off to start her own hives and retail store and I continued with Beeyond the Hive. It has been 15+ years and I’ve had an amazing adventure running this business!

Over the years, I have added to my list of responsibilities. I am now my husband’s girlfriend and mother to three rough and tough boys who are 8, 6 and 4. The greatest gift is watching my boys experience this family business the way I did when I was little. My husband works in the bees with my father and I continue to run BTH. My boys are always at our side and we strive to teach them some old school work ethics, manners, and values that have been lost in the younger generations. I can’t wait to see how this business will shape our little BEE’s (Boyd, Brooks, and Bryce) and give them the opportunity to continue the legacy if they so desire!

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
We have certainly worked hard to continue our legacy in this industry. When I began this venture, I was only 22 years old. I would say I had your normal obstacles that any start-up business endures but I also had to work harder because I was so young, plus I was female. In this industry, it is a male predominant. Companies looked at me like I didn’t have a clue in the beginning but thankfully I was naive enough not to notice. I had an ounce of confidence and unending persistence that convinced my customers that I would work harder than anyone else.

On an industry level, I would say we have many more challenges. I strive to educate customers on the difference between many store brands of honey versus a company such as ours. Unfortunately, in our industry, there are no label requirements when it comes to the products we produce. Many of the honey you find on the grocery shelves come from a different country and it may not even consist of actual honey. We constantly have to compete against these “lesser” honeys that come from different countries but are labeled as something else. They are cheap, the taste is undesirable and the source is unknown. So we hope that people will take pride in knowing their beekeepers and supporting companies like us instead of fueling the fire to the imported junk that many people have in their cupboards!

So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Beeyond the Hive story. Tell us more about it.
We are the oldest beekeeping family here in Colorado. Since 1908, 4 generations and 110 years, we have been able to provide Colorado with millions of pounds of honey. Our sweet hives have also pollinated food from all over the nation. This is not just an occupation for us. It is also a passion and we strive to keep healthy hives so we can share some of the best honey this state has to offer. We are family-owned and operated and between my father, myself and my siblings we tackle different areas of our industry. Our family brands consist of Johnston Honey Farm, Colorado Honey Company, Beekeeper’s Honey Boutique and of course Beeyond the Hive! From start to finish, we are able to have complete control over every aspect of our business.

We are very proud to serve some amazing companies all over the state as well. Noosa Yoghurt, a Colorado-based company, has been a loyal customer since 2009 when they first started. They have the best yogurt in the nation and we are happy to say that our honey is part of their secret ingredient! You can also find our products at all Colorado Sprouts Farmer Market stores, Murdochs, countless of breweries, and even your very own Denver Broncos use our honey to fuel up for the big games. We love our customers and each one becomes apart of our family legacy. From our hives to your home, we hope your tastebuds buzz with delight!

Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I don’t believe in the notion of good luck, to be honest. I believe we have control of our lives both personal and professional and by choosing certain paths we create an ebb and flow based on our choices. I have definitely had moments that are hard but there are also times that are great and amazing. I needed grit, determination, and patience to make it through the struggle and I always played things smart and kept my eyes open to those golden opportunities. My main reason I don’t believe in luck is that I have witnessed my dad run his business for 40+ years and he didn’t become successful because he was lucky. He became successful because of an unending work ethic. Particularly in the tough times, he was determined to work harder and smarter than anyone else in order to create better opportunities for himself and our family. My parents endured the ebb and flow of running a family business and their grit and determination brought them much success. I hope to do the same for myself and my family. It is certainly a rollercoaster ride when you run your own business. Fun, scary and uncertain, but it’s one heck of a ride to be on!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.beeyondthehive.com
• Phone: 970-405-0709
• Email: info@beeyondthehive.com
• Instagram: @beeyondthehive
• Facebook: @beeyondthehive

Image Credit:
Candice Baker Photography

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